Teejay, visualize a Colt Single Action Army. Now let it get wet and shrink until it is between 3/4 and 7/8 as big as it was. Now you have a Ruger Single Six. Get that wet and let it shrink until it is about 3/4 as big as it was, and you have the Ruger Bearcat.

This is a Blackhawk on the right (which is about the size of the Colt) and a Bearcat on the left. Notice it is quite a bit smaller.

Teejay, visualize a Colt Single Action Army. Now let it get wet and shrink until it is between 3/4 and 7/8 as big as it was. Now you have a Ruger Single Six. Get that wet and let it shrink until it is about 3/4 as big as it was, and you have the Ruger Bearcat.

This is a Blackhawk on the right (which is about the size of the Colt) and a Bearcat on the left. Notice it is quite a bit smaller.

Click to expand...

Once again, I've learned something. A tip of my hat of my hat to you, Alpo. I think I'd like that Bearcat Thanks, TJ

Yup, if you've got small paws the Bearcat is a wonderful little revolver. Yeah, they're a little pricey now days but I'm glad to see it back in production. The original Bearcat & Super Bearcat (which was a convertible 22lr/22mag model made for only a few years) was made from '58 to '74, but the Bearcat was reintroduced in 2008 for it's 50th anniversary.

Basically, it's a scaled down version of the 1890 Remington. A co-worker has one of each: an original, Super, and New Bearcat plus a NIB, unfired 50th anniversary with the gold trigger guard & cylinder inlays. His wife has laid claim to the original as her "skunk medicine".
For a kid or someone with really small hands it's a great little shooter. I've got pretty skinny fingers but I find the Bearcat grip is still a bit too small for extended use.
Even being all steel, it's so light that you can pack it around all day and barely notice it's there though.

Alpo said it well.
heres a picture of 2 bearcats flanking a single-six 32 h&r and a vaquero 45lc

i wanted a 50th anniv to go with my 1st year [the one on the left] but $550 for a whim is too much. $400 for 'normal' production is value for money as these are finely put together working pieces of art. and they shoot very accurately once you find the ammo they like.

After holding the Bearcat for about ten minutes, it hurts my middle finger because there's hardly any room between the trigger guard and the grip. And I have small-ish hands..
would I like to have one? yeah , but... pay $500 for one , ouch I'd rather have a P95 9mm Ruger for $400

Well, I guess people's preferences are their own, but what you said doesn't really make sense.

Kinda like saying, "I test drove a Volkswagon, but did not like it. I'd rather have an Indy car, or a Land Rover." They are all internal combustion automobiles, but they are used for totally different things. I suppose you could race the VW (Herbie did all right) or drive it back in the boonies.

Sometimes something catches our eye and we quickly buy it Later on we find out it isn't really what we are comfortable with.

A good case for me is cars. You go to a car dealer and he lets you drive a mile on roads with a 50mph limit or less. Some cars seem very quick up to about 60 and then fall off the power band quickly after that.

I like to rent a car for a weekend to see if I really like it before buying one.

For me the Ruger Bearcat .22 was one of those occasions. I loved the brass color trigger guard and overall cuteness of it and it seemed fine looking it over at the gun dealer. Once I handled it for a while it was just too small for my hand. It's still a fine little weapon and highly collectible but I need a slightly larger frame for shooting. I guess I'm defective, not the gun.